Paleoclimatology is the scientific study of past climates and climatic changes that occurred on Earth over a wide range of geological timescales. It involves the examination of various proxy data sources to reconstruct ancient climates and understand the factors that influenced them. Proxy data sources are indirect records of past climate conditions, such as ice cores, tree rings, sediment layers, coral reefs, and more. By analyzing these proxies, paleoclimatologists can reconstruct temperature, precipitation, atmospheric composition, and other climate-related parameters from thousands to millions of years ago.

Watch and download the paleoclimatology video that is part of the 10-Minute Museum exhibit, showing examples of proxy data sources.